The atmosphere outside Xianyang Palace grew increasingly solemn.
The smile on Ying Zheng’s face faded slightly. The words “to forge iron, one must be strong” displayed on the sky screen made him instinctively glance toward the palace hall.
Although Great Qin had unified the realm, to endure long, it must not repeat the mistakes of the Six States.
Fusu stood nearby, his unease quietly dissipating, replaced by a clear realization.
He looked up at his father and said softly, “Father, the sky screen’s message—’to forge iron, one must be strong’—leads me to believe that after Great Qin’s unification, we should focus on recuperation and pacifying the people, ensuring the realm does not suffer again due to internal weakness.”
The calm that had settled over Ying Zheng from the sky screen’s praise vanished instantly, replaced by a cold, sharp intensity in his eyes. He slowly turned to Fusu, his voice icy: “Recuperation? Pacifying the people?”
“The remnants of the Six States still harbor resentment in the shadows. The Xiongnu in the northern borders remain unsubdued. The barbarians in the southern commanderies still require civilizing. And you think only of resting?”
“If we slacken today, the remnants of the Six States will rise in rebellion tomorrow. The Xiongnu will raid our southern borders. Then, the people will truly suffer.”
“How can you not understand this?”
Fusu was startled by his father’s sudden anger, his heart tightening. He instinctively bowed. “I have not forgotten the achievements of our ancestors, but…”
“But what?” Ying Zheng interrupted, his fury mounting. “But you think my methods are too harsh?”
The emperor stepped closer, his oppressive presence making it hard for Fusu to breathe. “Great Qin seeks stability for ten thousand generations, not temporary peace! If you lack such resolve, how will you bear the weight of this realm in the future?”
【Yet it cannot be denied or ignored that in times of war, it is always the people who suffer the most.】
【In prosperity, the people suffer. In decline, the people suffer.】
The words on the sky screen still glowed faintly. Ying Qingyue gently pinched a falling phoenix tree leaf between her fingers, her mind dwelling on how the Six States had failed precisely because they treated the people as bargaining chips.
They abandoned the people when ceding territory, conscripted them for war, and in the end, lost their very foundation. How could they not fall?
She lifted her gaze upward, her eyelashes casting faint shadows beneath her eyes. There was no trace of emotion in her gaze, only a calm, sharp intensity.
On the vast scroll of history, the grand achievements of emperors and generals are always written in bold, vivid strokes. Most who read it encounter the legends of heroes.
The rise and fall of dynasties, the victories in war, and the power games woven through intrigue, hidden between the lines of text.
Yet the ordinary people, who form the very foundation of history, are collectively silenced in the struggles of power and the division of interests, becoming a silent backdrop.
For Great Qin to achieve lasting stability, it must hold the people firmly in its grasp.
Only when the people have food to eat and roofs over their heads will they acknowledge Great Qin’s rule.
This is the most solid form of authority, more effective than the schemes in the court or the swords on the battlefield.
Meanwhile, Fusu’s hand, hanging at his side, tightened imperceptibly. Seizing the moment when his father was lost in thought, he added softly, “Father, I do not mean to abandon the achievements of our ancestors. If the people are content, the remnants of the Six States will find no opening to exploit. If the people’s livelihoods are stable, the Xiongnu in the northern borders will find it difficult to shake Great Qin’s foundation.”
Ying Zheng turned to look at Fusu, his expression still dark, but he did not immediately erupt in anger.
His fingers unconsciously rubbed the imperial belt as his gaze returned to the eight characters on the sky screen. After a long silence, he spoke heavily, “The people’s suffering—do you think I am unaware of it?”
“But with the realm newly stabilized, if we don’t first establish Great Qin’s authority, how can we speak of bringing peace to the people? Your temperament remains too benevolent and soft.”
Father and son each held their own views, yet neither could fully grasp the other’s perspective.
The assembled ministers, long accustomed to such scenes, quietly made themselves inconspicuous as they watched the exchange unfold.
On the sky screen, Shi Jin paused briefly.
[Returning to our main topic, later it was Ying Zheng’s grandfather, Lord Anguo Ying Zhu, who ascended to the throne as the King of Qin, historically known as King Xiaowen of Qin. Ying Zheng’s father Ying Yichu naturally became the Crown Prince of Qin.]
[At that time, Ying Zheng and his mother, who had endured great hardships in the distant state of Zhao, finally saw a turning point in their fate…]
[To maintain friendly relations with Qin, the state of Zhao escorted them back to Qin territory. The 9-year-old Ying Zheng set foot on Qin soil for the first time—a land that felt both unfamiliar and full of promise.]
[After returning to Qin, Ying Zheng quickly adapted to palace life and began receiving rigorous royal education and training. It was during this period that the spark of his ambition—his refusal to be ordinary and his craving for great achievements—grew ever stronger.]
[In 250 BCE, King Xiaowen of Qin passed away suddenly shortly after formally ascending the throne following the mourning period for King Zhaoxiang of Qin, his reign proving extremely brief.]
[As Crown Prince, Ying Yichu rightfully inherited the throne, becoming the new King of Qin, known historically as King Zhuangxiang of Qin.]
[With Ying Yichu’s smooth succession, Lü Buwei’s years of investment finally yielded rich returns, a hard-earned sweet reward after bitter struggles.]
[He transformed directly from a mere merchant to the core of Qin’s court, appointed as Chancellor and granted the title Marquis Wenxin. For a time, his power overshadowed the entire court, unmatched by anyone.]
“Father-mentor…” Ying Zheng murmured these two words, his tone betraying neither joy nor anger, only an icy calm.
He recalled his first meeting with Lü Buwei—
That year, Ying Zheng had just returned from Zhao, still a tender youth. Lü Buwei stood beneath the corridor in brocade robes, his gaze sharp as an eagle’s, yet his words carried reassurance: “Young master, rest assured. With me here, no one would dare bully you.”
Back then, Lü Buwei was the “father-mentor” in his eyes—a protector who helped him gain footing in the palace, a benefactor who aided his father’s ascension and paved his own path forward.
He had respected him, trusted him, even believed this father-mentor’s wisdom could contribute to Great Qin’s foundation.
But what happened later?
[As we all know, after Qin unified the states, the policy of emphasizing agriculture while suppressing commerce gradually took hold. The status of merchants overall continued to decline, primarily because rulers believed agriculture was the nation’s foundation, while merchants profited handsomely without engaging in production, potentially undermining the state’s fundamental basis.]
[But actually, before the unification of the six states, during the Spring and Autumn and Warring States periods, merchants held a very special status.]
[Various states competing for hegemony required material and financial support. Merchants, by transporting provisions and trading salt and iron, became sought-after figures by different states. For instance, the Zheng merchant Xian Gao once used his personal goods to provision the Qin army, saving his state.]
[Some major merchants formed deep bonds with feudal lords. Besides Lü Buwei whom we just discussed, there was Zigong (a disciple of Confucius) who grew wealthy through trade—wherever he went, rulers would receive him as an equal.]
[Clearly, the policy of emphasizing agriculture while suppressing commerce was correct.]
[We old Qin people have maintained this policy for millennia. Now the common folk live and work in contentment, generally enjoying well-off and fulfilling lives.]
As these words emerged—
“Boom—” Everyone stared at the sky screen in disbelief.
This was undoubtedly like throwing a bomb at them, blasting them thoroughly inside and out.
Old Qin people?
Lasting a thousand years??
What had they just heard?!
When Ying Zheng heard “Old Qin people,” his pupils slightly dilated as a sudden conjecture arose in his heart.
Could it be…